


Cry Alone I've Gone Away

by FuryReina (ShadowRese)



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Horror/Halloween, M/M, Spartacus Fan Challenges, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-19
Updated: 2013-10-19
Packaged: 2017-12-29 21:26:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowRese/pseuds/FuryReina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agron and Nasir and other things that go bump in the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cry Alone I've Gone Away

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from A7X, I Won't See You Tonight Part I  
> Written for the October Spartacus Fan Challenge - Horror/Halloween prompt.  
> For the house, picture the mansion from RE - that's what the staircase should look like, and the dining room as well with that long table.

  
  
    "I still don't understand why you can't wait until December to do this!" complained Agron. "I'll have time to go with you then."

    "Agron, I've explained it to you numerous times already. One, this is my job. Two, the commission I'll get from a sale like this is a small fortune. And three, if I don't jump now, someone else will come along and snatch this right out from under me." Nasir was tired of trying to talk sense to his husband, who was lying on the bed pouting, like he always did whenever things didn't go his way.

    Nasir was a real estate agent. It wasn't exactly the career he'd imagined when he was growing up, but it was good money, and every so often, he'd get lucky and a whopper would fall into his lap. He was good at his job, and he always managed to move his properties. The money from the big sales went into their savings account, and someday, he hoped to have saved enough that he could quit work, and go back to school.

    He had been all of nineteen years old, and working towards his Bachelor of Architecture when his parents had found out he was gay. There'd been lots of shouting and crying, and in the end, they'd basically disowned him, and refused to help him any further with his college tuition. So he'd had to drop out, and the rest as they say, was history. The sale of this house, this mansion really, would put him that much closer to accomplishing his goals, and even though Agron didn't mean to, he was making it difficult for Nasir.

    Besides, it was ridiculous. He'd already promised to take Mira and Pietros with him. That had then led to Chadara getting jealous and insisting she be made part of the expedition as well. Once Aurelia and Diona heard about the trip, they invited themselves along, too. Then Castus got wind of their plans, and he was more than eager to tag along.

    Castus and Nasir were friends, even though everyone else in their circle knew he had a serious crush on Nasir. He also worked at Agron's cousin Saxa's gym, and as soon as she heard Castus was finagling his way in, she had promptly announced that she was going instead, and that Castus was to take over her Krav Maga classes for he weekend. The man had been disappointed, but what could he do? Saxa was the boss, and a tough one at that.

    "I know, I know," Agron fussed. "I just hate the idea of you spending even one night away from me. How am I supposed to sleep without you here to hold on to? Plus, you know that place is haunted, right? I mean everyone knows that! I should be there, you know, to protect you."

    "Agron, for the last time! Those are just stories, you know, urban legends or whatever you want to call them. But they are most certainly not true. There are no such things as ghosts."

    "Thousands of horror movies can't be wrong Nasir! Seriously, those stories have to come from somewhere." Agron flashed a grin, proud of his counterpoint.

    Nasir just rolled his eyes, exasperated beyond measure. If that was his husband's argument, there was no convincing him otherswise. Flopping down on the mattress beside Agron, he allowed himself to chuckle.

    "It's too late to change the plans, babe. Spartacus is dropping Mira off in the morning when he comes to pick you up for work. Everyone else is meeting at Duro and Diona's, and I'm picking them up from there. It'll take us five or six hours to get to Branford Manor so that I can tour the place, take pictures, make notes, and whatever else needs to be done."

    He knew Agron wanted him to come home straight after, but it would be late by then, and he didn't relish the thought of driving home in the middle of the night. Mira had graciously offered to pay for two hotel rooms nearby, and they'd spend the night there, then drive home early Saturday morning. Nasir didn't understand what Agron was getting so worked up about.

    "Yeah love, but it's just that-" Agron began before Nasir interrupted him.

    "Babe, shut up, and kiss me. Tomorrow night is the first night we'll sleep apart in four years. I don't want to spend tonight arguing about things that don't exist."

    Before Nasir was even sure what was happening, Agron had rolled over, and was stretched out on top of him, strong, muscled, arms supporting his weight as he held himself above Nasir. "You don't have to tell me twice," Agron drawled lasciviously, lowering his head to press his lips to Nasir's, his velvet tongue nudging Nasir's mouth open, begging entrance.

    The smaller man gave himself over, still surprised that after five years together, four of those living together, and three of them married, their passion for one another hadn't dwindled in the least. They kissed for a few long moments, until Nasir felt the heat rising in his body and it became difficult to breathe. He pulled away, gasping for air, his eyes finding Agron's green ones above him. He could feel his husband's hand slip underneath his tee, trailing along the scar on Nasir's ribcage.

    "Take it off," Agron growled low in his throat. Nasir pulled his shirt off, and quickly moved to remove his pants and boxers, nodding at Agron to do the same, before pulling the larger man back into a kiss. Agron grabbed a handful of Nasir's hair, tugging gently, and Nasir let loose with a low moan.

    Spreading his legs, his own hands moved down to the small of Agron's back, pulling him closer. He felt Agron wrap his warm hand around his cock, and his hips bucked involuntarily. Nasir fucked up into Agron's hand, who looked down at his little man in adoration. When Nasir felt Agron remove his hand he whined in protest, but then Agron was moving down his body and licking the engorged head of Nasir's leaking cock. As he took Nasir into his mouth, Agron hummed, and the smaller man thrust into his husband's mouth, while his fingers found the short strands of Agron's hair, and held tightly.

    Agron was beautiful, his bow-shaped lips stretched wide around Nasir and his cheeks hollowed as he allowed Nasir to fuck into his mouth. It was too much, too good, and if he didn't stop Nasir was going to come right then and there. Reluctantly, he placed his hand on Agron's shoulder, and gasped, "Stop, please. I don't wanna come yet." He scrambled away from Agron and reached for the bottle of lube they kept in the nightstand, pushing the larger man over and laying him on his back.

    Climbing up Agron's body, Nasir now straddled his husband's well-muscled thighs. He took Agron's hand in his own, and liberally poured some of the lube on his fingers. Agron understood immediately and pulled Nasir down to kiss him while with his other hand he reached around his little man, trailing down the cleft of his perfect ass to find his tight entrance. His finger rubbed circles around Nasir' hole, teasing him mercilessly, pushing just the tip in and then withdrawing.

    With a feral hiss, Nasir pushed back against Agron's digit, forcing the rest of his figner inside. He gasped and began to grind his hips, trying to get Agron's finger deeper inside him. As he felt another finger enter him, he bit his lip and grabbed the bottle of lube from where he had dropped it. He squeezed some out onto his hand, and then took both their cocks and began to stroke them at the same time.

    Agron groaned loudly, and pushed another finger inside Nasir's ass, who began to rock back and forth against Agron's hand. "Please, Agron, fuck me now," he moaned. Withdrawing his fingers, the larger man placed his hands on Nasir's hips, while the other man reared up to position himself. Reaching behind himself, Nasir once more took hold of Agron's cock, guiding him inside while he lowered his body.

    Unable to help himself, Agron thrust up into Nasir's tight, hot, slick, channel, pulling a gasp from the younger man. Immediately stilling himself for fear of hurting Nasir, Agron reached a hand up to touch his husband's cheek.  He needn't have worried, because Nasir welcomed the movement, and raised himself up, almost completely pulling off of Agron's thick and throbbing cock.

    Then in a forceful move, he slammed his ass back down hard, sheathing Agron fully. Encouraged by his little man's actions, Agron started to push up against Nasir's downward movements, matching his rhythm perfectly. Both men were panting and gasping, and Agron felt the heat in his belly as his climax built. He placed one hand on Nasir's cock, which stood erect and leaking before him. He pumped his hand in time to their movements, and the bedroom was filled with the sounds of their passion.

    Loud cries erupted from Nasir's throat when he could no longer hold himself back, his orgasm coming upon him hard and fast. He shuddered violently as he came, shooting his hot, sticky seed on his stomach and Agron's hand, which the larger man promptly brought to his own mouth, licking greedily. The salty taste of Nasir's come and the look of pure ecstasy on his face was enough to send Agron over the edge. He tightened his grip on Nasir's hips, and slammed his small body down onto his cock, groaning as he erupted inside of Nasir, who had fallen forward in his arms.

    For a few minutes they both lay there, spent and satisfied, heaving breaths coming from the pair of them. Nasir lay on top of Agron, his fingers tracing patterns onto his husband's chest. Agron for his part pressed a soft kiss to Nasir's soft hair, and whispered against him, "Promise me you'll be careful tomorrow."

    "I promise, I will be," Nasir answered as he nodded his head. He tilted his face up to take Agron's lips in a kiss, and allowed himself to fall sideways. They fell asleep that way, Agron on his back, Nasir's leg draped over Agron's waist, and more blissfully happy than either man had ever dared hope.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The next morning, after Agron grabbed Nasir and kissed him goodbye no less than a dozen times, the SUV was loaded with bags and people and they were on their way to Branford Manor. Diona had insisted on making everyone breakfast, so they had gotten a much later start than Nasir would have liked.

    Mira sat in the passenger seat, with Saxa and Pietros in the second row, and Chadara, Diona, and Aurelia in the rear. The two blond women were passing a book back and forth between them, reading to the rest of the group all about the "haunted mansion" they were travelling to. "Not you girls, too!" Nasir grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

    "Oh come on, Nasir. You gotta admit, it makes for an interesting story!" Chadara laughed from behind him. She and Saxa shared a conspiratiorial look. They were just having too much fun with this, annoying Nasir and frightening Aurelia.

    The history of the property was filled with lots of strange occurrences, disappearances, and even a few deaths. It had been built by some bigshot Hollywood mogul back in the era of the silent movie. The man was married to a successful actress of the London stage, but was rumored to have maintained an illicit relationship with a young, male lover.

    When the director failed to show up for work three mornings in a row, his personal assistant made a trip out to the lavish home. Upon receiving no answer, the assistant called the local authorities. Once the police arrived, the door was forcibly opened and a thorough search of the premises was conducted.

    The unfortunate gentleman was discovered floating face down in his large, outdoor swimming pool, apparently drowned. Missing however, were the wife, the young paramour, and the couple's Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. It was never proven what exactly had occurred in that house in October of 1923, but it had been the start of many strange and grisly events.

    As Chadara finished telling the story for the third time in the last hour, she suddenly exclaimed. "Oh shit! You guys take a look at this picture of the supposed male lover. Doesn't he look eerily like Nasir?"

    "Let me see that fucking book," Saxa growled, as she snatched it away from Chadara. "Huh, wow. This kid actually does resemble you a bit. It's in black and white, but the eyes are the same shape, and the jaw too."

    Everyone started clamoring to see, and soon the book was being passed around the SUV. The whole gang was in agreement, and the entire conversation was beginning to get on Nasir's nerves. "Why would you even waste your money on a stupid book like that anyway?" Nasir snapped at his friend.

    Chadara smiled haughtily at Nasir through the rear view mirror. "I didn't have to spend a dime. Once I decided to come on this little excursion with you, I started reading everything I could about Branford Manor. Donar saw how intrigued I was with the history of the place, so he went out and bought me the book." As she finished she stuck her tongue out at him.

    "Well, I'm tired of hearing about it. Besides you're scaring Aurelia, and I don't think any of us wants to see Varro in bitch mode when we get back." The rest of the trip passed without another word on Branford Manor. Instead, the group of friends all argued over what kind of music to listen to, until Pietros passed his iPod up to the front to be hooked into the auxiliary. Wisely, he had gone to the trouble of putting together a playlist that had a little something for everyone. And they all had a good laugh when the usually shy Diona began to sing aloud to Katy Perry's "California Girls", with seated dance moves to go along with.

    After stopping for a quick lunch at a dim sum place Mira was dying to try out, the group finally arrived at their destination. They spilled out of the SUV, stretching their limbs as they got their first look at Branford Manor. Nasir pulled his phone out of his pocket, and shot Agron a quick text letting him know they'd arrived safely. He smiled when Agron immediately texted back a heart, and hoped his husband hadn't been caught with his phone by his boss Oenomaus. Agron and the rest of the guys all worked for Oenomaus, who owned the largest and most successful general contracting operation in San Jose, called Ludus Contracting, Inc. Today Agron and Spartacus were meeting with a potential new client to present Oenomaus' bid, and "Doctore" as they jokingly called him would not appreciate the distraction.

    "Hey, hurry up Nasir!" came Saxa's loud voice. ''Let's get this fucking door open."

    "All right, let me just get my things from the back." Nasir dug through the bags until he found his work bag. When he met with clients, he carried a sleek attache case, but for now, his things were stuffed into a large, black leather, carry bag. The most important thing he would be doing today was taking photos, and he wanted to get started right away.     

    Pulling the keyring out of his bag, he moved to the entrance. The door was made of oak, with intricate carvings decorating it, and when he tried to push it open, he discovered that not only was it heavy, it seemed to be stuck. "Is one of you going to help me out here?" he asked, turning to his friends.

    Pietros and Saxa stepped forward. The three of them put their shoulders to the door, and prepared to push. "On the count of three," ordered Saxa. "One, two, three!" They all shoved at the same time, and suddenly the door gave way, leaving them to tumble into the foyer.

    The air inside was musty, and Nasir wrinkled his nose in distaste. He stood, and brushed himself off as his friends made their way into the house. Chadara lead the way, Aurelia and Diona trailing behind, holding hands like frightened schoolgirls.

    Downstairs the floors were made up of expensive Italian tile, though now the intricate designs were covered in thick dust. To the right was a set of huge double doors beyond which lay a formal dining room and adjacent parlor. The doors on the left led to a ballroom with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a large mirrors lining the walls.

    Directly in front of them was a grand staircase that led to a landing with two smaller staircases branching out to either side. According to the plans, there was a lift tucked back underneath the stairs which would take one down to the kitchen. On the back wall, hidden behind the stairs was another door, which led to a private office and bathroom. There were doors in that office that led to the infinity pool outside.

    The group was stunned speechless by the grandeur surrounding them. Chadara moved forward to inspect the banisters, which were carved from mahogany. She ran her finger along one of them, and wiped the dust on her jeans. "It's such a shame a place like this is haunted, it's beautiful," she breathed.

    Nasir didn't hear her. For some reason he was drawn to the office, and the pool beyond it. Turning the knob on the office door, he hesitated only momentarily before pushing inside. He found himself in a circular room lined with bookshelves. Some of the shelves were filled with books, while others held stacks of film reels still in metal cases.

    The desk near the french doors to the outside was a monstrosity of a thing. Placing his hand upon it, Nasir felt his cheeks grow warm, and he had a flash of himself bent over this desk, and a man (Agron surely?) behind him, running his large hands over Nasir's body.

    He was awoken from his strange reverie by a flash in his eyes. Quickly, he removed his hand from the desktop as though it were a hot stove. He blinked rapidly, and found Saxa beside him, her phone held out in front of her as she took pictures.

    "What are you doing?'' Nasir snapped at her, a bit more harshly than he had intended.

    "Just taking some shots of this place. I promised Sibyl I'd get some for her. She really wanted to come, but she had sessions this weekend and she refused to cancel." Sibyl was Saxa's girlfriend, and she was an elemetary school teacher for special needs children. Every other Saturday she had tutoring sessions with some of her ADHD kids, and her work was very important to her. Saxa sometimes pretended to be annoyed with her girlfriend's dedication to her job, but in reality she was fiercely proud of the young woman.

    Nasir decided if Saxa was already going to be snapping pictures, he might as well give her his camera as well and instructed her on the things he needed shots of. By this time, the others had gathered in the office and were oohing and ahhing over everything. "Why don't we all split up and let's do some exploring?" suggested Pietros.

    The group of friends thought this was a fantastic idea, and Diona and Aurelia immediately called dibs on Pietros as their guide. Saxa and Mira wanted to head up to the third floor and find the library, so that left Chadara and Nasir to look over the rest of the downstairs.

    Once everyone had gone about their separate ways, Nasir could swear he was hearing music coming from somewhere far away. He shook his head to clear it, but still the sounds persisted. "Ugh, can you hear that?" he asked his friend. The blond woman looked at him like he had suddenly grown a third eye.

    "Do you mean that creaking noise? I think that's the lift Pietros and the girls took down to the kitchen. You know Diona is weird that way. Why anyone would want to go to the 'servants quarters' is beyond me," Chadara said with a dimissive wave of her hand.

    Nasir levelled a reproachful gaze at Chadara. "I'll thank you not to talk about my sister-in-law that way. Diona is a professional chef, it's only natural she'd want to see the kitchen in an old house like this. Besides, that isn't the noise I'm talking about. It sounds like..." he trailed off as he walked out of the room, following the sound of the music.

_If I should take a notion.... to jump into the ocean..._ A woman's voice drifted to him from towards the front of the mansion, and Nasir went towards it, leaving a confused Chadara behind. There, from the ballroom! Nasir walked in, and was surprised to find all the chandeliers blazing, the twinkling lights reflecting off the many polished mirrors around the room. Crossing to the middle of the room, he stood and closed his eyes, the old-time music sounding sweet in his ears.

    His friend reached out and grabbed him by the hand, calling out, "Nasir, what the hell is wrong with you?" Her words didn't reach him. Instead he turned and pulled her close, swaying to the melody in his head. _If I go to church on Sunday, then just shimmy down on Monday, T'aint nobody's business if i do, if I do..._

    "Hey, wake the fuck up, dude!" snapped Chadara as she reached behind him to pull hard on his ponytail. "What is up with you?"

    "Ow!" piped Nasir, rubbing at his scalp with one hand. In shock, he realized his other arm was around Chadara's waist and he was holding her tightly to him. "What happened?" he asked her, now utterly confused and uncomfortable, and took a leap away from her.

    "I don't know, freak! One minute we're talking in the study and then you're running away from me. I followed you here to the ballroom, and you're just standing here in the dark with your head tilted up and humming some tune I've never heard before, and then you're grabbing me and trying to dance with me. Freak!'' she repeated again, just for good measure.

    "In the dark? But the chandeliers..." Nasir's words melted on his tongue as he looked up at the ceiling. The lights were all out, and the crystals in the chandeliers were covered in cobwebs. "I'm confused... I could have sworn..."

    "Yeah, well, you're not the only one who's confused," his friend remarked snidely. Honestly, Nasir loved Chadara with all his heart, but she wasn't exactly the most sensitive or compassionate of people.

    "Never mind," he said. "Let me just get my work done, and then we can get out of here and go have some dinner and get to the hotel."

    The next few hours were spent with Nasir inspecting each and every room, taking note of all the things that were in need of work. The current owners of the house lived in London, and had agreed to make any repairs Nasir thought necessary just so they could get the place off their hands. He hadn't told Agron yet, but he planned on giving the contract to Oenomaus. There'd be no need to even put in a bid, because there was no one he trusted more to get a job done right.

    By the time he was finished, it was getting dark outside and everyone was tired and hungry. Piled into the car, they were already arguing about where to go for dinner when Nasir turned the key in the ignition. Nothing happened. He tried once more, and still, nothing happened. "Guys, I think we have a problem. The car's not starting."

    The announcement was met with a whole chorus of complaints, from Chadara's "You have got to be fucking kidding me!" to Aurelia's "Nasir, don't you know you're always supposed to get your vehicle serviced before you take a long trip?"

    Nasir was frustrated and fixed them all with a glare through the rearview. "No, Chadara, I am not fucking kidding, and what exactly do you mean by serviced, Aurelia?"

    The tiny woman blushed furiously, "Well, I don't know. It's what Varro always tells me! But I'm not really sure what it means because he always takes care of it."

    Mira laughed out loud. "I think she means check your fluids, your battery, all that crap."

    Sighing, Nasir answered, "Yes, I know that, and I got all that done yesterday."

    Saxa chimed in, "Well, I nominate Pietros to go and look under the hood to see what's up."

    "What, why me?" asked Pietros, disbelieving. "I don't know a thing about cars, nor do I want to. Remember, Barca and I bike everywhere we go. You know, carbon footprints and all."

    Curling her lip at him, Saxa muttered,"Damn hippie. You mean **_you_** believe in all that crap, and Barca just goes along with it cause he's totally whipped."

    "He is not whipped! And don't call me a hippie! We're both just environmentally conscious! Some of us have to be, to make up for those of us who go around driving old muscle cars that emit all sorts of crap into the air," Pietros sniped right back at her.

    Saxa drove a 1967 Camaro, which was her baby. She loved that car almost as much as she loved Sybil, and she didn't let anybody insult either one of her loves. She growled at Pietros like a lioness, and Nasir finally lost his shit. "Enough! Fuck, you guys can give a person a fucking headache! Let's just get out, and I'll call Agron. I think we're gonna have to spend the night here guys. Do you have any idea how much a tow truck from way the fuck out here would cost me?"

    "Yeah," agreed Mira. "Spartacus can come down with Agron in the morning, and between the two of them, I'm sure they can figure out what's wrong and get the car started."  
    Amidst much grumbling and griping, they all got out of the car and Nasir opened the cargo area. He started tossing bags out onto the floor, not knowing or caring what belonged to whom. Slamming the back door of the SUV down, he shouldered his own bag and stomped to the front door. The gang, for the most part, followed him quietly, except for Chadara who was muttering under her breath about crabby little Syrian sex addicts who couldn't go one night without a German hottie in their beds, and so had to take out their frustrations on everyone else.

    Luckily for them all, Aurelia had brought snacks. She was three months along with her and Varro's second child, and she was hungry all the time lately. The dining room was enormous, and the table there could easily seat fifty people. They all sat together at one end of the table and passed around a few oatmeal bars and packets of crackers. Saxa had brought bottles of water, and she gave them out for the group to share.

    Eating should have helped to relieve the pounding behind Nasir's eyes, and he was disappointed that it didn't. He hung his head and apologized to his friends. "I'm sorry, guys. This trip has sucked, big time, and I know you're all probably wishing you hadn't come."

    "No, of course we're not thinking that. It hasn't all been bad and at least we're all here together. Tomorrow, when we're telling this story to the guys, we're going to laugh about it." Diona tried to reassure her brother-in-law and dear friend. She loved Nasir like he was her flesh and blood. When Duro had proposed to her after only six months of dating, she'd gotten scared and almost broken things off with him. But it had been Nasir who had come to her and explained things about the Krieger brothers, about how they loved with not just their whole hearts, but with their entire being. She'd taken those words to heart, and had never once looked back.

    "Thanks D," Nasir replied with a weak smile. "I'm gonna go upstairs and call Agron, and then try and get some sleep." He rose and pressed his fingers to his eyes and continued speaking. "There's plenty of bedrooms upstairs, and they've  all got their own bathrooms. Water and electricity are still running, so make yourselves as comfortable as you can."

    The master bedroom was in the middle of the semi-circular walkway on the second floor. Nasir opened the door, and was awed at the size of the room despite his splitting headache. The king size bed was on the right side of the room, devoid of any blankets or sheets. There was a fireplace on the the left wall and another large mirror above the mantel. Directly across from the entrance to the bedroom was a set of french doors beyond which the balcony was located.

    Nasir dropped his bag onto the floor, and threw himself down on the mattress. For a minute he just lay there, eyes closed, fingers rubbing at his temples. When he heard the sounds of the wood crackling in the fireplace though, he opened his eyes with a start and sat up.

    The hearth was cold and empty, no signs of a warm fire to be seen. I must be losing my mind, he thought. Or maybe Chadara was right and this was all about being away from Agron for the night. Either way, maybe hearing his husband's voice would help him to relax. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, "Call Agron," he said out loud. He put the phone to his ear and waited to hear the voice of the man he loved on the other end.

    The line rang once, and then went straight to Agron's voice mail. "Hey, this is Agron, speak to me, and maybe I'll speak back to you."

    Nasir rolled his eyes. He hated that greeting and had begged Agron to change it, but his husband only laughed. "Hey babe, it's me. Listen, I've got some bad news. The car isn't starting, and I refuse to call a tow truck. So, that means you and Spartacus will most likely have to drive down here in the morning and, well, I don't know, fix it, I guess? Anyway, we're all ok, and I love you, and I miss you so fucking much right now. Just, goodnight babe. I'll see you tomorrow."

    Picking up his bag once more, Nasir made for the bathroom to wash up and change into his pajamas. He was tired, so very tired. All he wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, curled up with Agron's robe. He'd brought it with him because even though he hadn't wanted to admit it, he had known he'd be missing his husband come night time.

    The mattress was still soft, and Nasir collapsed onto it gratefully. He allowed his eyes to fall closed, and wrapped the robe around him, breathing in Agron's scent and imagining his giant of a man lying next to him.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
     _The sound of splashing water filled his ears, and Nasir smiled to himself. He looked at the clock on the nightstand, and it showed him the time was late afternoon. A warm breeze caressed his skin, and he smiled softly to himself. As he turned to the source of the air, he noticed the doors were open, the sheer curtains billowing into the room._

_Slowly he sat up in the large, comfortable bed. He couldn't remember but he must have fallen alseep here after lunch. Come to think of it, he couldn't actually remember having lunch either._

_More sounds of splashing drifted in through the open doors, sparking his curiosity. Standing from the bed, he padded barefoot to the balcony. There was an ice bucket with a bottle of wine chilling, and two wine glasses on the small bistro table. Lifting the bottle, he noted it was a sweet red, his favorite kind._

_It was bright out on the balcony, the setting sun burning right in his eyes as he looked out over the swimming pool. Beneath the surface of the shimmering water, he could see a form gliding smoothly. His heart began to beat a little faster, knowing the man in the water was the love of his life._

_Agron swam to edge of the pool, hoisting himself out of the water to sit on the decking, and Nasir sucked in a breath. Agron shook his head, sending water droplets flying everywhere. He raised his hands to wipe his face, giving Nasir a delightful view of strong, muscled arms, and sculpted, rock-hard abs, glistening wet in the sunlight._

_Stepping back, Nasir accidentally bumped into the table, jostling the glasses sitting there. Agron looked up in surprise, and then a wide grin broke out on his handsome face. "You're awake," he called up to Nasir._

   _"Yes, I've been watching you. I don't think I've ever seen a more enticing sight," Nasir replied with a sly smile of his own._

_Agron laughed, and then let himself drop back into the water. "Take off that robe then and come join me. This weather won't last too much longer, and then our days of enjoying this pool will be at an end."_

_Already untying his robe, Nasir shouted, "I'll be right down."_

_"Aw, come on. Live a little! Jump, love. I'll be here, waiting for you. Just jump in!"_

_His hands stilled, and Nasir asked shakily, "Jump? From the balcony? You want me to jump? Why?"_

_"It'll be fun. We did it that one time, remember? We held hands and stood on the ledge there, and we jumped? Gave us both such a rush, I don't think we did any actual swimming that day."_

_Looking down at Agron, Nasir felt like something was wrong. He didn't remember ever jumping from this ledge. But he couldn't seem to stop himself as he let the robe drop and stepped close. His hands gripped the barrier there as he prepared to climb up._

_From down below, Agron was still calling to him. "All you have to is jump, and you'll be here with me. I'm here, I'm waiting for you. I'll always be here waiting for you. Come on love, you can do it. Jump, come and join me.''_

_The marble ledge felt cold under his feet. The wind seemed to push him about, and he fought to keep his balance, not really wanting to do this. But Agron was waiting for him, and he knew his husband would never ask him to do something that might cause him harm. Nasir closed his eyes, and prepared to launch himself into the water below._  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
    Mira decided she had better check on Nasir. She'd woken up from a strange dream in which Nasir had been calling out and begging her to help him. "Nasir?" she called as she knocked on the door. Hearing no answer, she slowly pushed the door open, not wanting to disturb him if he was really sleeping. The lights were off, and it was difficult to see. Mira brought up the flashlight on her iPhone, and shone it into the room.

    As she neared the bed, she noted he wasn't asleep there. Turning towards the bathroom, movement at the far end of the room caught her attention. Strangely, the balcony doors were open and there seemed to be someone outside.

     "Nasir," she called again, "What are you doing out there?" Before she reached the doors, she gasped and stopped short for a second. Immediately though, she recovered and sprinted for her friend. "Nasir, what the hell are you doing? Get down from there! You're going to fall!"

    Just as Mira arrived at the threshold to the balcony, a gust of wind slammed the doors shut in her face. Grabbing the handles, she jerked them down hard, intending to wrench the doors open. The handles moved, but the doors refused to open. Again and again she tried, using all of her considerable strength. Finally she started to bang on the doors with her palm, not wanting to damage the glass. "Nasir, get off that fucking ledge and open this door for me. You better get your perky, little, Syrian ass down right fucking now. Dammit Nasir, I AM NOT FUCKING PLAYING AROUND HERE. Nasir, this isn't funny!"

    When her friend turned his head back to fix a blank stare on her, Mira actually fucking let loose with a scream. Nasir's eyes looked empty, like he wasn't even aware of what he was doing. He's sleepwalking, she thought. "Nasir, Nasir wake up. Please wake up, you're going to hurt yourself."

    "He's calling me," came the reply, in a voice that was nothing like her friend's. It was dead, devoid of all emotion. Shaking her head in disbelief and afraid for Nasir, Mira used her phone to call Pietros who was asleep in one of the other rooms.

    As soon as the young man picked up, Mira started talking fast at him. "Pietros, it's Mira. Listen, I don't have time to explain, but get everybody awake and come to the master bedroom. Yes, I know it's the one Nasir's in! I need you guys to help me open the fucking door. No, I'm afraid to leave him. Fuck, can you just do what I ask for once!"

    What seemed like an interminable time later, Pietros came pouding into the room, followed closely by the rest of the group. Once Mira explained what was happening, and that Nasir seemed to have sleepwalked himself right onto the ledge, everyone took turns calling out to him, and trying in vain to open the door.

    "It won't fucking open," growled Saxa, "and he won't wake the fuck up." Diona and Chadara had run downstairs and were now outside on the decking surrounding the pool, yelling at Nasir to get down and go back inside.

    "Break the glass," Aurelia suggested.

    "With what?" came Saxa's irritated answer. The blond woman was frightened, and worried. If something happened to Agron's husband on her watch, she'd never forgive herself.

    "Oh, get out of the way," Aurelia ordered. Shrugging herself out of her sweater, she wrapped it around her hand and cocked back her fist. Not even the warnings about thick glass or stitches gave her pause. She slammed her hand into the glass with more force than any of them would have thought possible. She punched through it, and straight away prepared to deal another blow to the door.

    The shattering glass galvanized everyone else, and Saxa began to kick at the wood mullions, which broke easily under the impact. Pietros came forward and pushed through the opening, reaching out with both arms as he did. Wrapping his arms around Nasir's waist, he hauled his friend off the ledge and back onto the balcony floor.

    Being as careful as he could, he dragged a now limp Nasir back into the bedroom. He laid him gently on the floor once he had moved far enough from the broken glass. The sound of running feet pounding up the stairs reached them, Chadara and Diona bursting through the doorway only seconds later. Chadara ran to Nasir and knelt down by his side, grabbing him by the arms and shaking him.

    "Don't do that! You're not supposed to wake someone who's been sleepwalking that way," Pietros chastised.

    "To hell with that. He's waking up right now. Nasir, Nasir, open those fucking eyes and wake up," she snapped as she continued to jerk his body.

    Sometime in the middle of all the commotion, Mira had flipped the light on. It was to this brightness that Nasir finally opened his eyes, blinking rapidly. "What the hell..." he mumbled, looking up at his friends where they stood above him. Turning his head from left to right, he noticed he was lying on the floor. "Guys, what's going on?" he asked, in a voice like rusted pipes.

    Already large, honey-brown eyes grew impossibly wider as he listened to his friends recount what they'd seen him do. He shook his head again to negate their words. Sleepwalking had never been an issue for him, and he couldn't believe it would start here of all places. Burying his head in his hands, he tried to block out their voices. When he did, he again heard that sweet old tune from earlier, the tinkle of glasses being clinked together.

    Looking up once more, he saw a man standing outside on the ledge, his back to the door. For a second he thought it was Agron, but then the man looked back, and Nasir realized it wasn't him. Spreading his arms wide, the stranger let himself fall forward off the ledge. As he did, Nasir screamed out, "No, stop!"

    Before his friends could stop him he surged up from the floor and ran outside to the balcony, heedless of the broken glass that cut his feet when he stepped on it. Leaning over the railing, he looked down, afraid of what he might see. Except there was nothing but an empty pool, and not the injured or mangled body he had anticipated.

    Saxa was by his side in an instant, grabbing his upper arm roughly, and pulling him back through the now ravaged door. Nasir was met with the wide eyed, horrified looks on his friends faces. "There was a man out there... and he, he jumped or fell or something from the ledge. I just, I don't understand...," he sputtered. Looking aroud at the people gathered before him, he started to take huge, heaving breaths. His body was shaking and he felt weak.

    Finally Mira broke the silence. "I say we just get our stuff and get out of here. Fuck it, we'll sleep in the car if we have to. Agron and Sparty will be here in the morning, anyway. But under no circumstances should we stay even a minute longer inside this place than we have to."

    Everyone agreed, and went their separate ways to pack their things. Mira stayed behind and helped Nasir in silence. She grabbed both his work and overnight bag and put her arm around his waist to lead him out. The pair made a quick stop in the bedroom Mira had chosen, and grabbed her stuff as well. She didn't even bother to change out of her pajamas, opting instead to get out as quickly as possible.

    "What happened back there?" she asked her friend quietly.

    "I'm not sure," came Nasir's whispered response. "I only know I need to get out of here." He was starting to hear the music again, feeling the pull to the ballroom again.

    The rest of the group had already congregated in the foyer, and were anxiously awaiting Mira and Nasir. Saxa held out her hands for the keys, and as soon as the last person had walked through the door, she turned and locked it behind them. On the walk to the SUV, Nasir shivered in the chilly night air.

    Pietros had only just loaded the last of the bags into the cargo area when a pair of headlights blinded them all. The illumination prevented everyone from seeing who was arriving. The vehicle had not even come to a complete stop when the passenger side door was flung open, and voice called out, "Nasir!"

    The young man's shoulders sagged, relieved beyond measure. Brushing past his friends, Nasir took a few wobbly steps towards his husband, who only just managed to stop before crashing into the smaller man. Instead Agron cupped Nasir's face in his hands and kissed his lips gently.

    "Is everything all right?" Agron asked cautiously after breaking the tender kiss. "Spartacus and I were already on the way here. We were actually coming to surprise you and Mira, but then I got your message about the car not starting."

    Spartacus, who had come to join Mira and now had his arm around her waist, spoke up.  "Yes, you should have heard how he badgered me the entire drive down here to go faster. I think I must have done 90 all the way."

    Everyone started talking at once, attempting to explain what they had experienced. Spartacus looked at them skeptically, while Agron paled visibly. Looking back at the entrance to mansion, the taller man noticed the door was wide open.

    "Nasir, why did you leave the place open?" he asked.

    "What? No fucking way," Saxa snarled. "I locked that bitch up myself."

    "Well, it's not locked now," Agron snapped at her. "Nasir, where are you going?" Nasir had started walking back to the house slowly, and did not turn around when called by his husband. Agron long legs allowed him to catch Nasir before he had gone too far. Grabbing his husband by the shoulder, he whirled him around. "What are you doing?"

    Nasir only blinked at him for moment, seemingly lost. Finally he mumbled, "Your robe... I left it upstairs."

    Pursing his lips, Agron cut him off. "I'll take care of that. You go back and wait with the others." By this time Saxa had come forward to hand Agron the house keys, while he listened to Nasir tell him where to find his robe.

    "Here, Vetter. You lock the fucking door this time. And hurry up!" she shouted as he ran up the stairs and disappeared inside. Agron made his way guardedly to the master bedroom. He stopped at the doorway, taking in the sight before him. The shattered glass and broken door sent a shudder up his spine. Out on the balcony, he found the robe just where Nasir had said it would be.

    Against his better judgment, he moved to the ledge and looked over it. The height was not too great, but still, a fall from this distance onto the concrete below could have killed Nasir. Just when he was turning away, he caught something in his peripheral vision. His head whipped back around, certain he had just seen a man standing down below. On second glance, however, the figure had vanished.

    He bolted from the room and bounded down the stairs and out the door, slamming it as he exited. Pulling the key from the lock, the sound of the SUV's engine purring to life reached his ears.

    "Hey, how did you get it started, man?" he asked his best friend in what he hoped was a casual sounding voice.

    "You're not gonna believe it, but all I did was turn the key. It started with no trouble at all." Spartacus stood there scratching his head, and looking at each of their friends in turn.

    "Whatever, dude. Let's just get these guys home." Agron responded.

    Ever the selfless best friend, Spartacus offered to drive Nasir's SUV home, and let Agron take his truck. The man could tell his two friends needed some quiet time, and that was something they wouldn't get packed in with the rest of the gang.  "We can just swap back tomorrow, after we're all rested." Nodding gratefully, Agron reached out, and he and Spartacus clasped arms in a gesture Nasir and the others had seen many times.  Before they loaded themselves into Spartacus' truck, Nasir rushed forward and hugged each of his friends tightly. He saved Aurelia for last, whispering in her ear as he clung to her, "Thank you, for being so brave."

    Aurelia kissed his cheek before pulling back, and gave an embarrassed smile. Nasir allowed himself to be led away to the truck. Opening the passenger side door, Agron stood close behind his husband in case Nasir should fall backwards as he climbed in. The young man looked like he'd been through the wringer, and might fall out at any moment.

    Agron closed the door as soon as Nasir was in and hurried around to the driver's side. After sitting down behind the wheel, he looked over at the love of his life, and was not at all surprised to find Nasir with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. A tender smile graced Agron's lips, and he reached over to secure his little man's seat belt.

    The honk of the SUV's horn made Agron look up, and he waved as he watched his friends drive away. He turned the key and the engine roared to life. For a moment, he let his eyes linger on his husband's small, yet beautiful body. He wasn't sure what it was the group had experienced inside that house. In fact, he wasn't even sure what _**he**_ had seen inisde that house. That figure down below could have been the product of his overworked nerves for all he knew. One thing was certain though, he was never letting Nasir come back to this place.

    Agron's hand was on the gearshift, ready to get the truck moving, when his phone chimed in his pocket. Huffing loudly, he pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a message from Saxa. Opening the text, he saw there was an image attached. Tapping it once to bring the picture up, he saw Nasir in a large room, his palm flat on a desk in front of him and a far away expression on his beautiful face.

    Just by looking at the walls and rest of the decor, Agron knew it had to have been taken inside that fucking house they'd just come out of. He shrugged and was about to put the phone away, wondering why Saxa felt the need to send that image to him right now, when his eye fell on something he hadn't noticed at first glance. Turning up the screen's brightness, he looked more closely, and sure enough, there was a shadow over Nasir's shoulders. It could have been cast there by any number of things, but to Agron, it looked suspiciously like a hand closed around his little man's shoulders. Obviously Saxa saw the same thing, and that must have been why she sent the image.

    Shuddering, Agron deleted the message, not wanting Nasir to see it by accident. He texted his cousin back, _Not a word to him about this_.

    Agron told himself he didn't see the lone figure watching them from the lawn as he pulled them away down the drive. Nor did he see it disappear when the truck passed through the open gate, he insisted. His mind though could not deny the apparition retreating back inside to the house that had become it's prison, to wait forever for the love it had lost.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading - I meant to write something short and cute, but instead it kind of morphed into this monster.  
> Vetter translates to "Cousin"  
> The song playing in Nasir's head is "T'aint Nobody's Business If I Do" - the 1923 Bessie Smith version. In my head the doomed couple danced to this song on a special night.


End file.
